Curse of the Miasma
by Musogato
Summary: It started out as a quest to find Brock and a local girl gone missing. But as the truth unravels about this girl, Ash and Misty realize they can't do this alone. Conspiracies and Clones gallore await so come on in! PG-13 for blood & swearing, R&R pls!
1. Unexpected Guests

* Note: Despite what it seems, this story is MUCH more interesting than what this first chapter has to offer. _Especially_ the first scene. I'm sorry that the second chapter isn't ready to prove my point, but I'm almost finished with it. Just needs a few adjustments, then it'll be ready for your reading pleasure. * 

Now, on to the real disclaimer. I do not own pokemon or pokemon-related characters, or anything else media wise. I do own the character Samantha Lynn, and the other self-created characters that will show up later. Also, I'm not exactly sure where my story fits into the anime, or even the game for that matter. The landscape is a bit different, so just assume it's on the outskirts of Johto. I started writing this story a LONG time ago (maybe you remember it?), so there might be a few clashes between the present show and the fic. Just ignore those clashes. They fade away quickly. I decided to try my luck with this story again (and hopefully I'll finish it this time), so that's why I brought all this up. Um... I think that's it, so read it and enjoy! Oh, and don't forget to review please! ^-^ 

  


**Curse of the Miasma**   
"Unexpected Guests" 

  
It was late at night, the countryside in solemn silence. Yet far into the distance, there was no peace. 

It was dark when she awoke; the VCR blinking 12:00 did her little good. A soothing blue light filled her room from outside, yet it was still too dark for it to be five AM-- the time she usually got up. Suspicious, she got up and walked to the door that led outside, tripping over a bunch of textbooks. Grumbling under her breath, she went out onto the porch to see a huge blue bird down below. She crept down the staircase and onto the grass that carpeted her backyard. The large bird was facing her and seemed very nervous. She approached it slowly. 

"A-Articuno?" 

The bird blinked at her. The girl continued walking up to it until she was a few yards away, still in shock about the rare pokémon in her yard. It too began to walk up to her but then it would step back as if it didn't know if it could trust her. 

"Ti..." It sang quietly while looking from the girl to the mountain. 

"Articuno, what's wrong?" 

"Cunooo..." The bird stepped forward and lowered to the ground; it's icy wings stretched out. 

"Do you want me to come with you?" 

The girl glanced at the Clock Tower far away in the center of town. The illuminated face read two AM. Articuno looked up at her and nodded. 

"Sorry, but I need my rest. I have exams in the morning and if I fail, I'll have to take 12th grade all over again. As nice as it is being a senior and all, I don't want to stay one forever." 

Articuno stood up and stared at her, its eyes glistening when suddenly it looked up at Wintry Mountain, which was looming over the haze. The bird's feathers began to ruffle as if seeing an evil force. It looked back at the girl, its eyes pleading for help. She looked at the bird then over at the mountain. Then she too sensed that something was wrong. She shuddered, followed by goose bumps running down her arms. She looked back towards Articuno and nodded. 

Running back to her room, she changed out of her pajamas and into warmer clothes. Flinging open a small Sailor Moon tin box, she grabbed a lime Pixie Stick and swallowed all the sugar within. She came back out less than a minute later wearing jeans, boots, and a black jacket over her white pajama top. She jogged up to Articuno and shook her head. 

"Sayonara, diploma." 

Articuno leaned close to the ground again and she climbed up its back. She held firmly on to the feathers around its neck and they were off. The girl held on tight and looked at the trees below while the Freeze pokémon furiously flew higher and higher. Almost ten minutes later they were at Wintry Mountain. 

The girl looked back to where they came from, barely seeing the tall pine trees that surround her ranch. Jumping off Articuno's back, she fell into the deep fluffy snow. The bird immediately crouched low to the ground, a soft growl humming in its throat. The girl quickly mimicked Articuno's action, following its gaze from behind the large snowdrifts that hid them. What she saw confirmed Articuno's fear completely. Six men in sleek fur coats surrounded the perimeter, especially the conspicuous cave out in front. The girl had heard about this cave, for legend said that an Articuno roosted there because the heavy storm would keep its eggs safe from intruders. Obviously, the storm wasn't doing much to protect the cave from these strangers. 

Two of the men suddenly went in the cave while the others guarded the entrance with rifles. A few minutes later they came back out; one of them was holding a large bag. They pulled out the contents to show the others, which were Articuno's eggs. But these weren't your run-of-the-mill eggs, oh, no. These eggs were huge, almost two feet long, and were snowy-white with pale blue specks. The men placed the crystallized eggs back in the bag and began to leave, their black and blue helicopter seen from behind a snow bank. 

The girl wanted to stop them, as did Articuno, but they were often reminded of the rifles that glistened in the dim moonlight. A few of the men began boarding the helicopter when the colors triggered something in the girl's mind. Repressed memories from her past flashed swiftly before her eyes until a common theme was placed for all. Black and blue uniforms. _They_ all wore one. An icy shiver not from the snow ran down the girl's spine as she thought about it. 

"_Miasma_." She hissed through her teeth. 

Upon hearing that word, Articuno suddenly reared up with its wings spread, screeching at the top of its lungs. 

"ARRRRTTTIIII!!!!" 

"Articuno, no!" She screamed as the men got their guns ready. 

  


** {: One Week Later :} **

  
Ash knocked on the hard oak door, but no answer came. In fact, it probably wasn't even heard. Music from the inside was so loud; he had to shout so he could be heard. He looked to his left to see Brock, who nodded. Turning the round handle on the door, the music got much louder as they entered. 

They were in a small corridor and a small shrub at the corner of each wall marked the end. Walking in, they took note of the place and looked for an owner. To their left was an empty kitchen, ahead lead to two stairways; one leading upstairs and the other to a longer hall. But to their right led to the living room and another hall. Walking in that direction, they found a girl in the middle of the living room, laying on the floor in a puddle of blood. 

Ash saw her first and froze. Misty gasped when she saw her, covered her mouth and looked away. Brock was last to see this gory sight. Trying not to look at the blood directly, he walked up to her. He went past the couch and nearly tripped over the low coffee table. 

She was lying face down; long dark-chestnut hair flowed over her back and shoulders. She was wearing a long blue dress that had a tear near her stomach. He walked up to her right side, careful not to step in the blood. He gulped as he gently nudged her shoulder with the toe of his shoe. She stayed motionless. He looked up to see Ash and Misty on the other side of the fallen girl. 

"Find a phone and call the ambulance. Hurry!" He shouted. 

Ash and Misty immediately got up and began their search. The song ended and a DJ spoke, revealing that it was the radio playing. Brock kneeled down next to her, even though the blood urged him to gag. 

  


** {: | :} **

  
Ash and Misty went in different directions; Misty headed to the kitchen and Ash going past the living room into the halls farther down. 

Misty ran throughout the large kitchen, looking for a phone. On a table there were some paper bags filled with food, like someone had just returned from shopping. She began rummaging the cupboards when she found a Drivers License. She looked around the kitchen a moment more before she ran out to the hall nearby. The first door led to the bathroom, and no phone was found. The next door led to a guest bedroom. 

Searching around, she found a phone sitting on the bookshelf. She quickly picked up the receiver and dialed 911. She began tapping her foot while she waited when she realized that there was no dial tone. Following the cord with her eyes, she saw that it was cut in two. She picked one end up and held it close to her face, the inner wires hanging out loosely. 

  


** {: | :} **

  
Ash ran down the hallway, shaking violently. He came to another fork, which led in three directions. 

'_I'll never cover it all in time..._' 

He thought, grinding his teeth together. Pulling out two pokéballs, he called out Squirtle and Bulbasaur. 

"Okay! Bulbasaur: go that way." He pointed one way. "Squirtle: go that way." He pointed the other way. "If you find a phone, dial 9-1-1 and then find me, all right?" 

The two pokémon nodded and went their separate ways. Ash began to shake again as he went down another hall. He had never seen a murder victim before and quite frankly, it scared the stuffing out of him. Someone's life taken away... It wasn't right. Who would do such an evil thing? Team Rocket immediately came to mind, but he always thought that they tried catching rare pokémon, not killing people. As he entered the Master Bedroom at the end of the long hall, he suddenly stopped. He found the stereo that was playing; the music so loud he had to cover his ears. He slowly walked over to it, trying to find the volume button. 

Suddenly the DJ came on, talking about the station's monthly prize. A drum roll was heard and he announced a name. 

"Miss Samantha Lynn! **You** are the winner! I'll be calling your house, so you better be there to claim your 2,000-dollar reward! You have seven minutes to answer!" 

Misty suddenly looked up. 

"Samantha Lynn? Isn't that…" 

Her eyes widened as a phone was heard ringing somewhere in the house. Brock and Ash also looked up. 

"We gotta find that phone!" Ash yelled over the music. 

Elsewhere, Bulbasaur and Squirtle nodded. Squirtle climbed on top of a table and threw paper and clothes behind him, searching frantically. Finding nothing but an old candy bar, he jumped off and searched the rest of the small closet. 

Bulbasaur was in the office and sat in a large black chair, using his vines to open desk drawers. Despite the panicked atmosphere, he couldn't help it but stop and listen to the odd music box tune that had begun to play. Spinning the chair around, he was greeted by a ringing phone. 

"Bulba!" 

Using his vines, he picked up the phone receiver and held it close to his ear. 

"Bulba?"   
"Hello? Is Samantha Lynn there?"   
"Bulba...Saur? Bulbasaur!"   
"Listen little Bulbasaur, go get Samantha and tell her she just won **two grand**!"   
"Saur? Bulba-bul saur!" 

Ash, Misty and Brock looked up to hear Bulbasaur talking on the radio, playing loudly over the speakers that hung everywhere in the house. Ash ran out of the room, down the hallway and turned right, the way Bulbasaur went. Misty ran out of the bedroom and into the living room, just in time to see where Ash went. Following Ash, she ran past Brock, not noticing that the door behind him was slowly opening. Brock stayed where he was, keeping two fingers on Samantha's neck where he could feel her pulse. Sensing the presence of another, he glanced over his shoulder to see Samantha's attacker before he was knocked unconscious with a blunt object. 

  


** {: | :} **

  
Ash rushed into the small office, with Misty not too far behind. Jumping over the three steps that led up into the room, he nearly crashed into the desk. 

"Bulbasaur?" 

The chair with its back to Ash began to swivel as Bulbasaur spun the chair around with one vine, while the other held the phone. 

"Bulba!" 

He replied and passed the receiver up to Ash. 

"Hello?"   
"…Are you Samantha Lynn?" The DJ asked.   
"No, but I need an ambulance right away! A girl here is hurt extremely bad. I think she's Samantha Lynn, but I'm not sure. We need help _now_!" 

Misty ran through the doorway and paused at the stairs, gasping for air. Squirtle sped into the room and bumped into Misty's legs, causing her to fall. 

"Squirtle! Squirt Squirtle!" 

The turtle pokémon shouted hastily, pointing toward the living room. Misty glanced up at Ash then followed Squirtle while Ash told the DJ to send an ambulance to the eminent Luna Ranch. 

Misty followed Squirtle out into the living room, a worried expression settling in her eyes. When they reached the end of the hall, she saw Squirtle stop and point to where Brock was the last time that she saw him. Walking past a baby grand piano, she looked at the floor in the middle of the living room. But all she saw was blood. 

"Wh-where did they go?" 

Upon closer inspection, she saw a trail of blood leading towards a half-open door. Walking out the door, she saw that the blood led down the stairs and to the driveway, where it stopped and tire tracks began. Sprinting back into the house, she raced into the office, nearly running over Squirtle. When she reached it, Ash looked at her surprised. 

"They're...they're gone. I think...they've been kidnapped." She said breathless. 

Ash stared at her wide-eyed, and dropped the phone. 

"WHAT?!" 

He ran past Misty who collapsed on the stairs and hurried into the living room. Skidding to a stop next to Squirtle, he stared at the empty room. 

"But...Who would take them?" 

He grimaced, just as the ambulance drove up the driveway, sirens blaring. Walking back to the office, he helped Misty stand up. Pulling out a pokéball, he recalled Bulbasaur. A loud crash was heard as the paramedics knocked the wooden door open. Rushing in with a stretcher, they called out over the loud music. 

"Hello! Anyone here?" 

One of the three men shouted. Ash and Misty walked into the large room, greeting them. 

"Are you the boy who told the DJ at KMIS to call us about an emergency?" One of the other helpers asked. 

"Yes, sir." Ash replied, pulling out Squirtle's pokéball. 

"Well, where's the patient? From what we heard, she needs immediate attention." The last helper ordered. 

"They're…not here. I think they've been kidnapped, maybe by the person that attacked her. Squirtle found them missing and told me and Ash, but when I got out here, they were gone! But if you look over there," Misty pointed toward the open door, "there's a trail of blood leading down to the driveway." 

"Wait a minute. You keep saying 'they'. We were told that there was only one person injured. Who are the others?" 

"Our friend, Brock. He was looking after Samantha while Misty and I looked for a phone so we could call for help." Ash explained. 

"Oh, I hope he'll be all right." Misty whispered as she looked down at the black and white tile floor. 

'_Was the killer waiting here the whole time? What if they do something horrible to…_' 

She couldn't finish. She knew bad stuff happened all the time, but she never thought something like _this_ could happen to someone she _knew_. Misty squeezed her eyes closed, trying to keep her composure. For some extremely unlikely reason, Ash saw right through this and tried to comfort her. 

"Brock was like a big brother to me. I know we'll find him, Samantha too. We have to." 

He put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. She looked up at him; her eyes brimmed with tears. 

"I hope so." 

She whispered, her voice steadying. Ash nodded and turned back toward the paramedics. 

"Follow me." 

He went to show them the trail of blood leading outside. Misty and Squirtle followed. 

  


** {: | :} **

  
Inside a dark van Brock lay unconscious, tied and gagged. Across from him laid Samantha in the same situation, only a man was aiding her. He unraveled a blood-soaked towel around her wound, and switched it with a clean one. The van was already miles away from Luna Ranch, and was heading towards a mysterious town up North... 

  


** * * * * * **

  
June 2000 ~ Nov. 2002 


	2. Welcome Back

**Curse of the Miasma**   
"Welcome Back" 

  
The empty highway stretched out before them like a staircase with no end. It's been almost an hour since Ash and Misty left Luna Ranch, and they still haven't reached Toprika Village yet. The paramedics offered them a ride to town, so they accepted. They've been on Highway 31 since. The rest of the ride was quiet except for constant remarks from Misty about their current speed. 

Twenty minutes later, the two kids were dropped off in front of the police station. The annoyed paramedics quickly left, dust blowing from beneath their wheels. Coughing and gagging, Ash and Misty walked into the building. 

Inside, everything was chaos: police officers were running all over with criminals in handcuffs and K-9 Growlithes were barking at everyone. Ash and Misty slowly made it to the front counter as if they were in the video game Frogger. An Officer Jenny greeted them mid-way. 

"Hello children. Is there something you need help with?" 

"Yeah, we have two people missing, one of them was a close friend and the other was badly injured." Misty said, stepping out of the way of a running Growlithe. 

"I see. Let's go outside where it's not so hectic, and you can explain." 

Officer Jenny walked to the exit with Ash and Misty right behind. Once outside they sat down at a nearby table and Officer Jenny pulled out her notebook and pen. 

"Why is the station so busy?" Ash asked glancing at the station, where another group of cops entered holding a possible suspect. 

Officer Jenny sighed and set the notebook and pen down on the table. 

"We've been getting many reports of criminals robbing private homes and Pokémon Centers, then stealing rare pokémon. At first we thought the offenders were a part of Team Rocket, but out of all the evidence we gathered, we highly doubt that now." 

"Why?" 

"Well, in most Team Rocket incursions, the victims usually aren't paralyzed so badly that they are mistaken for dead." 

"Eeesh." Misty exclaimed.   
"Yep, but back to your friends. What happened?" 

"Well, it actually started a few days ago." Ash began, "We were passing through Sapphire Lake when Brock --- our friend who was kidnapped -- had overheard someone talking about this girl who could heal any pokémon. It sounded like she could understand them on a higher level then find out what was bothering them. My Pikachu had been acting really strange lately, and all the Nurse Joys couldn't find anything wrong with him. That's when we decided to come here and find that girl. We arrived this morning." 

"There are many 'Pokémon Psychics' in Toprika, and I doubt they honestly understand a pokémon's problem on a higher level." Jenny sighed. 

"Oh no, this wasn't a Pokémon Psychic, this was some girl at a ranch." Misty said. 

Officer Jenny's pen fell out of her hand, but didn't seem to notice. She was staring at Misty, her expression frozen. 

"A ranch?"   
"Um, yeah… what was its name again?" Misty looked at Ash to help refresh her memory, but he was frowning as if the name was on the tip of his tongue.   
"Luna Ranch? You two aren't talking about Luna Ranch, are you?"   
"Yeah! How'd you know?" Ash asked, glancing up. 

Officer Jenny's complexion went pale and she abruptly stood up.   
"This girl you're mentioning, is she Samantha Lynn?"   
"Yes."   
"And is she the other person that was kidnapped?"   
"Yes, she's the one who was badly injured."   
"Oh God." 

Jenny briskly walked through the Station's doors and blew the whistle that hung around her neck. The frenzied room instantly went quiet. 

"I need all available units NOW. Code Z, officers, I repeat, Code Z." 

Half of the officers in the room looked at Jenny as if she had spoken in a foreign language while the other half jumped into action. Dialing phones and grabbing maps, the officers who knew what 'Code Z' meant and were not already preoccupied with something else, knew exactly what to do. 

In ten minutes half of the Toprika Force was racing along Highway 31. Officer Jenny led this team in her two door white Jeep, with Ash and Misty hanging on to dear life from the back seat. 

  


** {: | :} **

  
Brock slowly opened his eyes to find a beautiful girl looking down at him. The light in the room was dim, but he could tell that her amber eyes were sparkling with concern. He looked at her for a few moments longer before slipping back unconscious. 

She slowly stood up and looked around. They were in a small prison cell with only one tiny window and a big iron door. The air was stuffy and they'd been in there for who knows how long. She looked back at the guy who breathed deeply in the corner. She had absolutely no idea who the heck he was, but he kept mumbling something every so often. He'd wake up suddenly like he was having a bad dream, but would fall back unconscious just as quickly. He had quite a nasty bump on the back of his head. Samantha slowly walked to the window, careful not to upset her wounded side. Despite her attackers' request, she just wouldn't agree to leave with them peacefully. 

'_Their stupid offer._' She thought angrily, '_Next time I see them, boy are they going to need insurance._' 

She looked down, gingerly touching her waist. Her beautiful dress was ruined; the blood stains and the huge tear would be impossible to fix. Through the holes, you could see bandages over her wound. She didn't know when, but sometime between her getting knocked out and her awaking, the creeps cleaned her up. She could feel the stitches in her skin and the blood throbbing against the band-aids. She wondered if she had any internal damage, but knew it would be a while until she got answers, if any. She looked out the window and sighed. The sky was cloudy, as if it could rain within the hour. 

'_Lets see… If I wasn't trapped in this hellhole right now, I'd probably be listening to Mike give some excuse for being late again. Not that it really matters now. I hope he remembers to feed Zelda --_' 

Samantha swiftly turned around and studied her surroundings. She knew she heard something, but wasn't quite sure what it was. She glanced over at the guy in the corner, but he was still unconscious. She was really beginning to worry about him; he should've been up and running by now. A small click was heard again in the room. 

"Who's there?" She thundered before the door even swung open. 

A man in his early twenties named Derek came in, closed the door behind him, and turned on a flashlight. He wore a black uniform with a pale blue 'M' on the front of the shirt. Samantha continued to glare at him. 

"Samantha, you've finally made it back! How ya doin'?"   
". . ."   
"Of course. And your side?"   
"Tell Emily and Eric that the next time either of them comes within 100 feet of me, I'm going to tear 'em to shreds."   
"Ah, so the pain's about a… seven?" 

Samantha glared at him for a moment longer before shifting her gaze to the side.   
"Yeah, pretty much." She muttered.   
"Right, just checkin'. Want me to bring ya some aspirin?"   
"Nah, that's okay. Bag of ice would be good though." 

Derek nodded and glanced around the cell, frowning. 

"Jeez, I know you and Victor have issues, but he could have gotten ya a better room. And without dead people in it. Sheesh."   
"That guy isn't dead. Or, at least I don't think he is. Anyway, I heard that big tub of lard say something about this only being temporary. Apparently all the other rooms were taken."   
"Well, Miasma's been busy lately."   
"No kidding. What's with the big outbreak? You guys preparing for a war or something?" 

Derek suddenly shifted his gaze to the floor, mumbled something about dinner being served in a few hours, and rushed out the door. Samantha listened to the door be locked again and frowned. 

"That can't be good." 

  


** {: | :} **

  
Somewhere in the house on Luna Ranch, an ancient clock chimed three. Else where, a pokéball quivered and fell to the ground, releasing the pokémon inside. It slithered to the barn, its auburn eyes searching for its trainer. 

Officer Jenny drove through the gates of Luna Ranch and followed the dusty trail that led to the house. Ash and Misty were telling her how they found Samantha, but they weren't exactly sure if she was listening. She still wore the same expression from before they left, only with a more focused, hardened glare. Ash and Misty wouldn't dare catch her glance in the rear-view mirror. 

Parking in front of the house, Jenny and the other officers exploded onto the scene, half of the team going up into the house, and the other half inspecting the immediate perimeter around it. Officer Jenny leapt out of the jeep, walked to its back end, and pulled out a metal briefcase from behind Misty's seat. Ash and Misty also got out and followed Officer Jenny up the front stairs while watching the other officers warily. It was almost as if they had been preparing for this for quite some time… 

When the officers walked inside, they separated into pairs and split up to investigate different areas of the house. Ash and Misty however were greeted by an unfriendly silence and stayed inside the front doorway. 

"Hey Ash, did the paramedics turn off the music before we left?"   
"No, I don't think they did. I thought you…" Ash looked at Misty questioningly, but she slowly shook her head. They both glanced around, the silence even more unnerving than before. 

Officer Jenny took a long look at her surroundings before going into the living room and setting the briefcase on the couch. She then inspected the windows and doors for any signs of break-in entries but didn't find any. All the windows and doors were locked from the inside. 

"Hey Jenny, we found something. Can you come here for a moment?" One of the officers said from near the dried puddle of blood.   
"What is it, Jake?" 

Officer Jake began pointing to small piles of white powder that were encircled by black tape (put there by Jake's partner). "I'll need to take a sample down to the lab before confirming this, but I've got a hunch it's that M93 powder that we've been finding at similar crime scenes."   
"Mm, good work Jake. I'll get Jan to take a sample of this down to the lab ASAP."   
"Alright. It's strange though; there are so many deposits around here! Almost three times the amount we've found at other sites. I wonder why so much was used?" 

Officer Jenny opened her mouth to reply, but paused. A familiar music box tune had begun to play; it's solemn notes piercing the silent house. It took a moment for her to remember that it was the phone that was making that sound. Walking into the office, she reached over answered the phone. 

"Hello? Who is calling?"   
"Hey Sam, I know I'm ultra late but I --" The young man's voice paused for a moment. "Uh, who is this?"   
"I was about to ask you the same question." 

Both ends went silent. 

"If you're not Sam, then… wait, Jenny is that you? What are you doing at Sam's house?"   
"Mike?"   
"Yup, it's me. Didn't realize you still checked on Sam. Is she home? Can I talk to her?" 

Officer Jenny went quiet. '_How am I going to tell him_?' 

"Uh, Jenny? You still there?"   
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm here. Oh jeez. Mike, Sam's missing. I got a report just a few hours ago that she and someone else had been kidnapped, from right here at the ranch." 

Now it was Mike's turn to go silent. In fact, he stayed silent for five very long seconds before rasping out a low "what?" 

"I've got some of my best men here investigating it right now. We're got some leads, but you know that if you ever hear anything on the streets, --" 

"Officer Jenny! Officer Jenny, there's something you should see!" An officer shouted into the office. Jenny nodded to him then turned back to the phone. 

"Mike, I've got to go. I'll…" Jenny's voice trailed off as the dial tone caught her attention. Mike had already hung up. Without bothering to give it a second thought, Officer Jenny hung up the phone and jogged out into the living room where the officer from before waited for her. 

"Jacob, what's the matter?"   
"Jan and I found the point of break-in, upstairs. It's…pretty gruesome, Jen." 

Officer Jenny nodded slightly then followed him up the staircase. Ash and Misty, who were still standing near the front door, watched her worryingly. They exchanged glances before slowly heading farther into the house, but stopped when they heard Officer Jenny. 

"What the hell happened here?" 

She exclaimed, her gaze spanning across the room. The room was actually just a large empty space with three doors that led to a bedroom, a bathroom, and a small porch. Well, the space used to be empty. A sandslash and meowth laid in the middle of the room; both in critical condition and slathered in red. The once white walls were sprayed with blood, and lots of it. Jenny clutched the handrail to steady herself, but continued to look around. Some of the sandslash's quills were sticking out of the walls, and one of the larger windows that faced Wintry Mountain was shattered as if something dove through it. 

"Okay, um, Jean and John, can you please come up here?" Jenny shouted down the staircase. From the kitchen emerged the two officers, both carrying professional flash cameras. Jean paused in front of Ash and Misty and gave them a curious look. 

"Hey, what are you kids doing here?"   
"We were here when Samantha and Brock were kidnapped."   
"Really now? Well, if you haven't been questioned already, go talk to Officer Jamie. She's in the kitchen." 

With that Officer Jean followed her partner upstairs. The next few minutes were filled with the sound of uninterrupted clicks and flashes that slightly illuminated the stairs. A short while after that, Officer Jenny and Officer Jacob descended down the stairs and out the front door, both carrying a large object wrapped in a towel. Gently placing them in the back seat of her jeep, Officer Jenny told Officer Jacob that she would be back soon, then sped off towards town. 

  


** * * * * * **

  
I hope you liked this chapter! With all these three-day weekends I'm getting from school, the next chapter should be out sooner than I thought. Oh, and please don't forget to review! :) 


	3. Questions Lead Only to More

a/n: Wow! Has it been forever since I last updated this chapter or what? Well, it's up now, heh heh. I've already started writing the fourth installment, so hopefully it will be up soon too. Anyway, comments are **always** welcome, so don't be shy. Other than that, enjoy! ^-^ 

  


** Curse of the Miasma**   
"Questions Lead Only to More" 

  
A pair of natu sat next to each other on the only tree available in the vast field. The frail branch swayed under their weight, threatening to break after the next icy gust. Even still, they continued to rest there, their feathers fringed gold with the setting sun's glow. High above them a fearow circled and screeched, its mighty wings gliding like a paper airplane on the breeze. Else where, a houndour could be heard greeting the rising moon. 

Samantha continued to observe nature from the small window, while Brock continued to massage his head from his seat on the floor, next to the untouched plate of food. He woke up with a heavy headache an hour or so ago, and he and Samantha conversed about Toprika Village and… other things that greatly disappointed him, until both their minds drew a blank. 

That's about when Derek, the Miasma member who had visited earlier, delivered their supper and something else. He gave Samantha a meaningful look as he handed her a small, folded up slip of paper. She gave him a questioning look, but his glare stopped her from speaking. She looked down at the paper and unraveled it. She read the cryptic message then closed her eyes slowly and nodded. He patted her shoulder sympathetically and then left the cell. Brock had watched the scene in silent uncertainty, still holding the supper plate of bread and water. 

He glanced around the cell unsure whether or not he should ask her what just happened. She quietly made her way over to the window, placed her arms on the windowsill, and rested her chin on her arms. Deciding to break the silence, Brock cleared his throat and asked her if she was all right. She had turned her head slightly away from him and said it didn't concern him and there was no need to worry. 

'You didn't answer my question.' He said softly, instantly regretting it. She looked at him with tearful eyes and declared in a spiteful tone that the matter did not concern him. She had looked at him a moment longer as if ordering that no more questions be asked, then turned her gaze back out the window. Hurt, Brock turned his back to her and sat on the floor, then set the plate of food next to him and began to massage his throbbing head. 

  
They've been like this for almost fifteen minutes now. 

  
Samantha watched as the two natu began to chirp loudly at each other, eventually causing such a ruckus that another natu came up and sat next to them, causing the branch to break. All three then flew off into the distance, the two still bickering. 

She sighed. 

"I'm going to be leaving soon." She said suddenly, still looking out the window. "I won't be coming back." 

Brock glanced over his shoulder at her, but didn't say anything. 

"I don't know how long you'll be in here, but they'll take care of you. The food's not too bad, just a little stale. If it's green, don't eat it. They put a special season in the green stuff when they need to... um, free up more cells if you know what I mean. And with their lack of space and growing number of prisoners, I got a feeling they'll be serving more green stuff than they usually do. So if they give you any, don't eat it, alright?" 

"I take it you've encountered Miasma before?" 

"Yeah, I have. Many times actually." She chuckled grimly. "I've been here so often, it's almost like a second home." 

"Wait... you know where we are?" Brock turned to face her. 

"Well, not this exact hideout. Miasma has hundreds of them all over the country. And since I've been all over the country, I've had the displeasure of staying at many of them. 

"And you escaped every time?" 

"Yup. Sometimes I had help, though. But I doubt he's still here." 

"He? You mean, someone on the inside?" Brock whispered. Samantha brushed a hand past her eyes then turned to face him. She nodded. 

"Said he didn't like what the Boss was up to. That it wouldn't work like he wanted." She said in a low voice. Seeing the questioning looks on Brock's face, she continued. "I don't know what he meant, but whatever it is, my family was somehow involved." She took a deep breath. "I don't know anything past that." 

A silence fell between them. 

"But If you ever get the chance to escape, take it, and never look back." 

Brock looked up at her, but she was looking at the door, her eyes narrowing. 

"See ya." 

  
Brock opened his mouth to speak, but paused as the door suddenly swung open. A huge beast-of-a-man stood in the doorway, his features shadowed from the amount of light behind him and the lack of it in front of him. Brock looked up at him in surprise, then glanced over at Samantha. She had her arms crossed in front of her and glared dully at the large man, as if she knew that he would be coming. 

"Well if it isn't Lard Boy himself. Took you long enough. Whad'ya do, stop at McDonalds first?"  
"Listen missy, don't you be givin' me attitude or you'll be singin' a different tune." He threatened, his hand hovering over a crowbar tied to his side.  
"Puh-lease, Lardy. You can't hurt me and you know it."  
"I'd be damned if I didn't do it, you little wretch."  
"Oh, stop your crying. Now move it, I have an appointment." 

Victor grumbled angrily to himself as he stepped out of the doorway, allowing room for Samantha to get through. Brock stood up and began to follow her, but Victor shook his head at him and closed the door. 

  


** {: | :} **

  
The woman in uniform glanced at her notes again before looking at Ash and Misty, who sat across from her at the small table in the kitchen. The bags of groceries had been placed on the floor to make room on the table, although it didn't really matter. Most of the food had spoiled by now anyway. Although there was a bag of Doritos near the surface that had caught Ash's eye… 

"So neither of you saw the attacker?"  
"No Ma'am."  
"And neither of you saw the vehicle that they got away in?"  


After some thought Misty shook her head, but Ash's stomach answered for him. Sighing, Officer Jaime leaned over to grab the Doritos and handed it to Ash. 

"I'm really sorry, I haven't eaten all day." Ash said sheepishly before tearing into the bag of chips. 

"Yeah, same here. But I don't understand… from what you've told me, it sounds like the attacker had been waiting while you were in the house, then kidnapped your friend and Samantha and then left in a vehicle, but neither of you saw their vehicle when you came?" 

"No, there were no cars or anything in the driveway." Misty said. 

Ash looked up. 

"But… if there was no car, how did Samantha go shopping?" 

They all glanced down at the bags of groceries around them. 

"Good question." Officer Jaime said and wrote in her notebook. 

  
Misty was about to show the officer Samantha's driver's license that she had found earlier, but a shiver down her spine stopped her. Misty looked warily to the left and right, getting the strangest feeling… as if she were being watched. She finally turned around and standing behind her was a rather large dragonair. 

"Whoa!" Misty exclaimed, jumping out of her seat. Ash and Officer Jaime also stood up to look at the dragonair, who continued to glare at Misty. "Uh, nice dragonair…" She whispered, slowly stepping backwards. Ash pulled out his pokédex, but the dragonair glared at it quickly before returning it's angry glare at Misty. 

"I wonder where that dragonair came from?" Ash asked and waited for Dexter to give some information. But it never gave any. 

"What the? Hey, what happened?" Ash looked down in confusion at his non-responsive gadget. "We've seen a dragonair before, so why isn't it working?" 

"Did the batteries die?" Misty asked. Ash looked up at her.  
"It uses batteries?" 

Misty stared at him for a few moments before muttering 'never mind' and returned her focus to the dragonair that was trying to turn her to stone with its glare. But when she looked back, the dragonair wasn't there. They all looked around, but the dragonair was gone. 

"…What was **that** about?" Misty wondered, turning toward Ash and the officer. 

Ash shrugged and looked back at his pokédex, which surprisingly enough, was working again. He punched in the code for Dragonair but strangely, the entry could not be found, as if it had been erased. "Weird" He said to himself before putting it away. 

"Do you know where that dragonair came from?" Misty asked Officer Jaime. She pondered it for a moment, then shook her head.  
"No, but I bet Jenny would. Right after the tragedy, Jenny stayed here for a few years to take care of Samantha and help with the ranch."  
"Tragedy?" Ash asked. Officer Jaime nodded.  
"Maybe 4, 5 years ago, Samantha's father was murdered. Terrible day that was, one of the worst gang-related shooting accidents this city's ever seen. Or, at least that's what the newspapers reported." 

"It wasn't an accident?" Misty asked quietly. 

"Not even close. It was thought that whoever took out her father would also be after her, but when the city's best cop is staying at her house, you could imagine it would be hard for them to find a good shot." 

"But… who are 'they' and why would they be after Samantha and her family?" 

"I…" Officer Jaime looked up to catch the stern glance of another officer in the kitchen doorway. "…uh, don't know. But I guess that'll wrap up this interview. If I think of any more questions to ask you, I'll let you know. Thanks for cooperating." 

And with that she picked up her notebook and followed the other officer out of the kitchen. 

"But - hey! Wait!" Ash and Misty called after her, but it was no use. They looked at each other and sighed. "Guess we won't be getting any answers from her." 

  


** {: | :} **

  
Officer Jenny parked in front of the Pokémon Center and jumped out, carrying Sandslash and Meowth in her arms. She rammed through the doors and carefully laid the two on the front counter, when Nurse Joy came running in from the back room. 

"What the-- Oh, hello Officer Jenny! What are you doing here?" 

Jenny unraveled the two pokémon from the bloodstained blankets, and Joy gasped. 

"Oh! The poor things! Where did you find them?"  
"Upstairs at Luna Ranch." 

Joy looked at Jenny confused. 

"They found Samantha." Jenny said gravely.  
"Well that sure is strange. I can't imagine why Samantha's own pokémon would turn on her--"  
"No! _Miasma_ found Samantha. I'm sure of it. From what I've gathered, these two were just trying to protect her."  


Joy nodded and walked to the front doors to lock them. Two chanseys came into the room with stretchers, and took the injured pokémon to the back. 

"But how did they find her? Samantha was always so cautious."  
"I know, but it was bound to happen. Those snakes find their way into everything."  
"Do you know where she is?"  
"No, not yet. Some kids reported that she and their friend went missing this morning."  
"Oh?"  
"Yeah. Miasma has to be the cause. The Station has been getting reports all week of burglaries using a strange, paralyzing white powder."  
"M93."  
"Yep. And only one gang knows that formula."  
"Now that you mention it, the Center has been getting lots of pokémon that have been injured beyond repair, and the only type that hasn't been in here, are dragons."  
"The only element that can resist M93."  
"You're right. It has to be Miasma. But what do we do? Where do we begin? How do we find Samantha?"  
"I'm not sure. But I'll find a way, I have to." 

  


** {: | :} **

  
Loud footsteps echoed down the long hallway, despite the carpet lining. These footsteps, pounding themselves angrily into the ground, made their way to the large double doors at the end. A secretary-like woman came up to the enraged man, saying how he couldn't see 'him' right now, but he continued down the hallway. Finally reaching the doors, he pushed them open as hard as he could and stormed into the dimly lit office, glaring at the man who sat behind the desk. 

"What the HELL do you think you're doing?" He shouted at the man. The doors slammed shut behind him, fueling his anger. The man behind the desk chuckled to himself and lightly smiled at the younger man before him. 

"I thought you would stop by. No need for a temper, though." 

"Answer me, damn it! You have no right to take her! If you hurt her, I swear I'll…" 

The man behind the desk dropped his smile and folded his hands beneath his chin. 

"You'll what? You know nothing of which you are speaking of. And you will address me as 'Sir' just like everyone else. Don't think you can get away with speaking to me like that." 

The young man closed his eyes and took a deep breath then opened them again. 

"Why did you take her, _Sir_?" He said through gritted teeth. The older man nodded. 

"Much better. She was taken captive because she is needed for some very important plans of mine. Nothing personal, kid. Now go, you've got duties to tend to." 

The young man continued to stare at him bewildered. The Boss sighed and hovered his finger above a red button. "Don't make me call security." He said. The young man glared at him a moment longer before turning around and walking back towards the doors. He put his hand on one of the handles and stopped. 

"This isn't over." 

With that said he opened the door and left the office. The Boss swiveled around in his chair and rested his hands behind his head. "I knew he wouldn't take it easily. I better call in more security for her. Wouldn't want him to pull anything funny. I can't afford to lose her again." 

  


** {: | :} **

  
Holding her arm firmly, Victor led Samantha down one of the many hallways in the elusively large building. Fluorescent lights glowed from the low ceiling and each conjunction just lead to more hallways and more doors. The doors were made of a dark wood, while the walls were a creamy-white cement color; although some of it was chipped off in a couple places, revealing a darker gray color. A few of the doors they passed had candles on the walls next to them, some of them orange, yellow, or red. Victor and Samantha walked through a door with yellow candles near it. 

"I'm not going to see the Boss tonight, am I." Samantha asked, looking up at Victor. His dark-gray eyes glanced down at her but he remained silent. "Because if I was, I bet those candles would have been blue." 

"Well aren't you the little psychic." Victor muttered. They turned down another corner, where a few more members waited. "More security, eh?" Victor asked them when they reached them. The three members nodded. 

"Boss wants to make sure she doesn't get away this time. So she's going to a different room. Follow us." One of the larger members said. Samantha looked at him curiously. '…I've seen him before, I know it.' She thought. 

The three members led Samantha and Victor through more doors and winding hallways until they came upon a narrow staircase and stopped. 

"You'll be staying in the room at the top. Go on, get." Said the same member from earlier. Samantha nodded her head and made her way up the stairs. At the very top was a door. She glanced back down at the members again before entering. 

The room was circular. On one side there was a little table that held a familiar-looking hairbrush and lipgloss, and on the other side was a small mattress with a folded blanket and a note on top. There was a window between the mattress and the table, with four thick metal bars inside the frame. Across from the window was another door, which led to a very tiny bathroom, with a toilet and a sink. Samantha walked over to the mattress and picked up the note. 

"_Samantha,  
Hope you find it comfortable here. There are some clothes under the blanket. You'll meet the Boss in the morning. Don't show up looking like you crawled out of a car accident, you hear?  
- Ryan_" 

'_Ryan…? Ah ha! I knew he looked familiar! I can't believe they kept him around!_' Samantha thought. She took another good look around the room before picking up the blanket. Under it was her favorite pair of jeans and a black shirt, along with other necessities, just like the note promised. 

"I can't believe they raided my room. How, uh, considerate. But why the special treatment…?" Samantha shook her head and looked out the window. The stars twinkled lightly in the icy night air. But from the window's position, she couldn't see Toprika Village or any significant landmarks. Just miles and miles of empty fields.  
"Damn." 

  


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